With a strong advantage Brandon Herrera, the gun-rights activist and YouTube personality known online as “The AK Guy,” is headed into the November general election as the Republican nominee in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
Herrera’s candidacy took shape suddenly after incumbent Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped out of the race, clearing the way for Herrera to advance without a runoff.
This week, Herrera picked up a major boost when President Trump endorsed him, giving the first-time candidate the backing of the most influential figure in Republican politics.
Herrera’s rise comes after months of turbulence in one of Texas’ most watched congressional races. In the March 3 Republican primary, Herrera won the largest share of the vote but did not secure an outright majority, forcing a runoff against Gonzales.
Two days later, Gonzales withdrew after admitting to an affair with a former staffer, ending his reelection bid and effectively making Herrera the Republican nominee.
Gonzales’ exit transformed what had been an incumbent-protection race into an open-seat contest and instantly changed the political dynamics in the district.
Now Herrera will face Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, a San Antonio attorney and former teacher, in the fall. Padilla Stout and national Democrats see an opening in Herrera’s nomination, arguing that his hardline image and provocative online persona could make him more vulnerable than Gonzales would have been.
Nevertheless, Republicans begin with clear structural advantages in the district, where recent election results and the region’s post-redistricting map favor the GOP.
Texas’ 23rd District has long been politically important because of its location along the U.S.-Mexico border. It was once considered one of the state’s true swing districts. But in recent years, it has moved to the right. The Associated Press described the seat as deeply conservative and noted that Trump carried by 15 percentage points in 2024.
The Cook Political Report had previously rated the district Solid Republican, but after Gonzales left the race, it shifted the seat to Likely Republican on March 12, a sign that Herrera enters the general election as the favorite, even if the race is somewhat more competitive than it appeared just weeks ago.
Herrera’s supporters portray him as an outspoken conservative outsider with a built-in national following and strong appeal among gun-rights voters.
But Democrats are expected to make his online record and confrontational style central issues in the campaign. That contrast is likely to define the general election: Republicans betting that the district’s partisan lean is enough to carry Herrera to Washington, and Democrats arguing that the GOP has nominated a candidate outside the political mainstream.
Note: Brandon Herrera's Democratic opponent, Katy Padilla Stout, will join "The Source" on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 12:30 p.m.
Guest:
Brandon Herrera is the Republican nominee for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas.
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This interview will be recorded live Monday, March 16, 2026, at noon.
